Crane

Crane take the punk-meets-heavy-music style of bands like Strung Out and Thrice, and then pepper it with a healthy dose of emo to create a sound that is sometimes powerful and sometimes disappointing.

The album opens with a brooding instrumental track that combines Tool-like rhythms and an airy melody, before really taking off with “Black Glove.” It is here that Crane’s strengths and weaknesses both come out. The raucous opening riff and speedy skatecore moments are energetic and rocking, but the soft bridge and random screams that recall Story Of The Year, as well as the weak palm muted verses, are a letdown. As the album progresses, so does the dichotomy between fast-paced numbers with great riffing and lifeless, overly dramatic pieces.

Songs like “Kerosene” (whose opening riff sounds strangely like the one that starts “Beyond All Fantasies” just three tracks later), “The Fall Of Time,” and “Wreckless Institute” bring the arena emo of bands like Roses Are Red and Senses Fail while “Tales Of Modern Life” and “SixSixSix” are skatecore-driven numbers with technical guitar work that recall Fat/Epitaph bands from the 90's. “Integrity” is a standout track, though, with its much more melodic songwriting approach and interesting rhythms that result in a heavier sounding Hey Mercedes.

Crane are yet another example of a band whose technical proficiency is far from lacking, but can’t seem to really do anything to distinguish themselves from their heavy guitar-driven punk/emo brethren. The band definitely have their moments, but most of The Fall Of Time sounds too similar to songs that were never that great to start with.